Jhenaidah, April 23 -- A deepening power crisis - linked to global fuel shortages triggered by the Middle East conflict - combined with sweltering heat has thrown life in Jhenaidah into disarray, with nearly 21 lakh residents of the district enduring prolonged load-shedding and mounting hardship.

A sharp mismatch between demand and supply is driving the crisis.

According to officials, the combined demand of Jhenaidah Palli Bidyut and West Zone Power Distribution Company Ltd (WZPDCL) stands at around 129 megawatts, but they are receiving only about 77 megawatts, resulting in a daily deficit of 52 megawatts.

Jhenaidah Palli Bidyut Samity Assistant General Manager (Engineering) Nazmun Nahar Jarin said the organisation currently serves 445...